You can get from Russia to Germany by plane, train, bus and by your own car.
By plane
Aeroflot flies from Moscow to Germany every day: 3 flights to Berlin, 1 to Hanover, 2 flights each to Dusseldorf, Munich and Stuttgart, and 4 flights to Frankfurt am Main. S7 Airlines flies to Munich three times a day, as well as once a day to Frankfurt am Main and once a week to Düsseldorf. Lufthansa flies twice a day to Munich, three times to Frankfurt am Main, and once a day to Berlin and Frankfurt am Main. Ural Airlines operates flights to Cologne twice a week. Travel time from Moscow is 2.5–3 hours (depending on the city of arrival). Most flights are direct. See Countryaah.com for other countries starting with G.
Rossiya Airlines operates daily flights from St. Petersburg to Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. There are also direct flights to the largest cities in Germany from the regions. From Yekaterinburg and Krasnodar Ural Airlines fly to Munich once a week, and from Nizhny Novgorod and Samara to Frankfurt am Main – Utair. Orenburg Airlines operates flights from Omsk, Samara and Chelyabinsk to Munich (there is also a flight to Dusseldorf in summer).
Find cheap flights to Germany
By train
Two direct trains run regularly from Germany to Russia and back: 024 Paris – Moscow and 014M Berlin – Moscow.
The train from Paris makes stops in Germany in Karlsruhe, Frankfurt, Erfurt, Berlin and Frankfurt an der Oder. After that, the train goes through Poland and Belarus, stops in Vyazma and Smolensk, and then arrives in Moscow at the Belorussky railway station. Trains depart from Paris once a week, on Friday evenings. The train arrives in Karlsruhe around midnight, stopping in Berlin at 6:00–7:00 Saturday. From Karlsruhe to Moscow it takes about 32-33 hours, from Berlin – 6-7 hours less. Tickets in a compartment from Karlsruhe will cost about 220-250 EUR per passenger one way, in a NE – from 350 EUR, a trip in a suite costs about 850 EURfor a place. Despite the high cost and rather long travel time, the train is popular, and tickets are sometimes sold out a month before departure.
Twice a week, the branded “Swift” departs from the East Station in Berlin to the Belorussky Station in Moscow. Departure on Sundays and Mondays at 18:50, arrival in Moscow – on Mondays and Tuesdays at 18:11. In total, it takes a little more than 22 hours to travel from end to end. The train in Germany also makes a stop at the station in Frankfurt an der Oder, then follows with several stops through Poland and Belarus, in Russia to Moscow it stops in Smolensk. Seats from Berlin will cost about 140-160 EUR, a seat in a compartment – from 170 EUR, a CB from 210 EUR, a suite – from 350 EUR. The Swift from Berlin is also popular, with most tickets sold as soon as they become available.
By bus
Berlin, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich can be reached from Moscow by bus through Belarus. Ticket prices start from 125 EUR (for children – from 80 EUR), travel time – 33 hours (Moscow – Berlin).
On Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, a bus leaves for Berlin from St. Petersburg. On the road – 35 hours, the fare – from 140 EUR (children and privileged categories of citizens are entitled to discounts). This method is the least comfortable of all, given the rather high price.
Details on how to get to the popular regions of Germany: Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, Frankfurt.
By car
The road from Moscow to Berlin runs through Belarus and Poland. The distance along the highway is 1835 km. Drivers, as a rule, do not complain about crossing the border: everything is quite prompt, you don’t have to stand in line for a long time.
Transport
It makes sense to travel by plane only between major cities – on such routes, local low-cost airlines (AirBerln, German Wings) offer very favorable rates, comparable to the cost of a trip by rail. Other distances are best covered by trains, since Germany has one of the most efficient rail systems in Europe. High-speed trains ICE (InterCity Express, speed up to 330 km / h) connect the main cities, but travel is not cheap. More democratic IC (InterCity) run between small towns and small towns, and EC (EuroCity) run between European cities. Long-distance (DB) and commuter (Regionalbahn) train timetables in Germany are combined into a single system, which makes it easy to plan trips around the country.
There are bus services between most German cities. Buses are comfortable and, thanks to excellent roads, run on time, quickly delivering passengers to their destination.
Travel tickets
The WelcomeCard is a ticket for 2, 3 or 5 days in Berlin or Berlin and Potsdam, which includes unlimited travel on all modes of transport (including travel to/from Tegel Airport in Berlin), as well as 50% discounts on entrance to key museums, galleries, restaurants, clubs and other places necessary for the tourist.
A card for 2 days costs 19.90 EUR (Berlin), 22.90 EUR (Berlin + Potsdam), and for 5 days – 36.90 and 41.50 EUR respectively. You can buy it at any travel agency (including airports) or at the office. website.
German railways – Deutsche Bahn – provided discounts for travelers within the same federal state and issued special tickets – laender ticket. For example, Bayern Ticket operates in Bavaria, and there is a similar one in any other land. A ticket is purchased for 1-5 people (the more, the cheaper) and allows you to travel around Bavaria with significant discounts. For example, a 2nd class ticket for one person for one day (from 9:00 to 3:00 the next day) costs 23 EUR. Surcharge for each subsequent passenger – 4 EUR. Accordingly, the price of a ticket for two is only 27 EUR. Children under 5 travel free, but only if they are traveling with their parents, grandparents or guardians. In case you want to take your nephew with you, you will have to pay for him as an adult.
Laender Tickets are sold at train station ticket offices, tourist offices, vending machines with the inscription DB (Deutsche Bahn) and also on the official website of the German Railways.
Public transport in cities
The public transport system in Germany is one of the most efficient in Europe. There are metro (U-bahn), city trains (S-bahn), buses and trams. If you use public transport, it is more profitable to purchase a ticket for a month for 40 EUR. Single tickets (2 EUR) are valid for all types of transport within two hours after purchase without limiting the number of transfers. A Kurzstreckentarif ticket costs 1.7 EUR, a day ticket – Tageskarte – 7 EUR, a group ticket for one day (travel of two adults and three children) – 17.3 EUR, for a month 81 EUR.
In public transport there is a ticket system:
- Day-Pass – a day pass, is considered activated from the moment of the first composting and 3:00 the next day. For zone AB (center) such a ticket costs 7 EUR, for ABC – 60 EUR.
- 7-Day-Pass – a ticket for a week, valid from the moment of the first composting until midnight of the last (7th day). The ticket is transferable, and on weekdays (until Friday evening) up to three children under 14 years of age can be transported free of charge. Such a pass costs from 30 to 37.20 EUR, depending on the zone.
- Kleingruppen-Tageskarte is the most convenient option for those traveling with a group. This is a travel ticket for a group of up to 5 people, valid for the whole day (until 3:00 the next day) on all modes of transport. The cost is from 30 to 17.80 EUR, depending on the zone.
All travel tickets are purchased at the box office or ticket machines at metro and suburban train stations.
The metro starts at 4:00 and ends between 0:00 and 1:00. Tickets must be punched in the red machines located on the platforms.
Taxis are widely available, prices vary according to a complex system of calculation. On average, the cost of a trip is from 7 EUR, and for trips less than 2 km or shorter than 5 minutes there is a special tariff. 1 km costs an average of 1 EUR plus 1.50 EUR for the inclusion of the meter. You can hire a taxi on the street or parking lot, as well as call by phone.
Some cities have introduced preferential rates for taxis at night for women. Metro employees also call taxis for passengers after 20:00.
Through Germany by bike
In any city in Germany, you can rent a bike (in addition to the rental fee, a deposit is taken). Most German highways are equipped with cycle paths, so it is quite safe to move around the country on two wheels. The bicycle is especially convenient in small towns and resort centers. Renting a bike for half an hour will cost 1 EUR, for a day – 12 EUR.
Car rental in Germany
You can rent a car in most cities of the country. Some companies offer weekly pay and do not take into account the kilometers traveled. To rent a car, a Russian tourist must be at least 21 years old, have a credit card and present an international driver’s license.
The driver and passengers in the front and rear seats must wear seat belts. In case of violation of this rule, the fine is paid by the one who did not buckle up.
In Germany, you can park on the street and in the so-called “parkhouses”. For the disabled and women, seats are reserved closer to the exit, in a more convenient area. There are practically no free parking on the streets of German cities, except on Sundays and public holidays or on the outskirts. Parking for an hour costs about 2 EUR.
